Creature features are always a bold enterprise to undertake; reveal the beast to soon and you lose all suspension of disbelief; bring the creature into the fold too late, you may lose the interest of the viewer; and if once it is revealed, the monster has to satiate one’s desires or lose impact entirely. Thankfully writer, director Scott Walker (The Frozen Ground) is in good hands for his sophomore feature length outing, teaming up with Weta Workshop to bring the wretches to life on the screen. 

To harness his vision, Walker fuels the narrative with a small family unit, thrust into the wilderness against a dark presence to tie our interests and connect with them in their plight.

When we meet the trio of father, Ben (Matt Whelan – Narcos); mother, Jules (Lucianne Buchanan – The Night Agent); and daughter Reia (Zara Nausbaum) they are fighting to make ends meet in a rundown pet store, when they inherit an abandoned coastal property with its own secluded beachfront. What seems like an opportunity to reap from their new abode, the family look to fix it up and sell for a tidy profit, but there is something sinister lurking beneath them. As Ben sets to work repairing the water tank that is tied to the property and reconnecting the fresh water supply, Jules begins to unearth a disturbing past that is tied to the house and Ben’s family. What lies dormant, finds new life and begins to rise to the surface, stalking and laying claim to its territory. 

As Walker carves out a fairly satisfactory tale, building up atmosphere and introducing neighbouring characters that can be suitably killed off by the wee beastie, he also chooses the approach of saving the creature reveal until the characters on screen have time to be established. The indicators set up to the final climax are a little easy to spot however, including initiating Jules’ own strength and resilience earlier on when we witness her capturing a pet rat in the afore-mentioned pet store. Sure she can handle herself against smaller creatures but how will she fare when she comes face to face with a far greater foe? 

The Prognosis:

There is plenty to draw you in on the surface value, with strong performances, beautiful scenery, and decent creature effects, and the story weaves an ecological moral with greater depth than The Black Demon deigned to inflict upon us. The execution however, stays a little too close to predictability with some of the plot choices. It’s engaging enough however and sits nicely in the middle of the road. playing it safely, placing the family under threat, despite not offering anything new.

• Saul Muerte

The Tank is currently streaming on Shudder.